There is no way I'd ever spend my money on this place again.
Paisan's is still making it's business off the reputation at it's previous location in downtown Madison. The food, from what I hear, used to be really good. Now the food is inedible and the service is well below average. The only thing saving this place is the atmosphere and the location. The bar and lounge area have a very unique view of Monona, and a rustic feel of an Old Italian bistro from the 40's or 50's.
It's a shame then, that the food and service don't live up to what could be a phenomenal restaurant. I went with a party of 12 and the food and service we received was abyssmal. Drink orders weren't taken until we'd been sitting for quite some time. The shrimp corn chowder was flavorless and bland and the ravioli I ordered was served cold. When I asked for it to be reheated, you could tell it had been done in a microwave as it returned in about 2 minutes with scalding hot marinara and the ravioli still undercooked. Others in my party ordered Pizza (which is what Paisan's is known for). The pizza was worse than what you'd find in a grade school cafeteria. The sauce was clearly from a can and the cheese tasted like it was Industrial grade meant for military consumption only. The only redeeming quality was the dough was clearly hand made and had a good crust and chew.
It's so unfortunate that a place like this could be so terrible. Some modifications to the menu preparation and the wait staff and I would love this to become a regular place in my restaurant rotation.
Unfortunately it's just going to have to go down as one of the worst places in Madison.